Glug, glug, glug

Praise the beer! We love our beer, and we love that other Edmontonians love beer too. This gives us a few options such as Sugarbowl or Public House and since Public House is the newest kid on the block, it was time for a visit. Actually this was my second trip, but I was pleased to see favorites like Erdinger Dunkel, Leffe and Hoegaarden make an appearance. These beers are by no means difficult to find anymore, but finding them on tap is a real treat. Combine this with a plate of shibs aka shank ribs and you've got yourself a merry little Friday.

It's also time to throw a belated shout out to Devine Wines for their superb wine tasting events. I typically like my wines cheap and easy (ahem), but Devine Wines has done a fabulous job of educating us average joes of the merits of all wines. Their charcuterie and wine event this past Thursday exposed guests to the combination of dry sherry, Riesling and neutral reds with cured meats. I can only assume you plan on butchering, salting and drying them yourself.  Check out Devine's upcoming list of tastings from the very exotic to the very affordable: http://devinewines.ca/event

Tuna Cakes with Fresh Tomato Salsa

Lunch, lunch, lunch, luncheon, lunchy, luncher, luncherson. Sandwiches and frozen entrees just don't do it for me these days, so I'm on the hunt again for fun and portable meal ideas. Enter the tuna cake! Another self-contained, protein-packed centrepiece. I'm thinking that I could break up the cakes and serve them on crackers or melba toast. Stuffing it into a pita is an idea...alternatively, they look like they'd be good on their own. Ideas??

Adapted from: http://www.thenovicechefblog.com

Serves 4-6

Tuna Cakes

• 3, 5oz cans Tuna in water, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/3 cup crushed Rye crackers (appx 4 crackers)
• 2 T freshly minced parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 T Tabasco sauce
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 large egg, whisked
• 2 T olive oil

Tomato Salsa

• 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped shallot
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 2 T minced cilantro
• 2 T freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 t olive oil
• 1/4 t garlic salt
• fresh ground pepper to taste

For the Tomato Salsa

Toss together all ingredients and set aside while combining the tuna cakes to allow the flavours time to mingle. 

For the Tuna Cakes

In a large bowl, mix together tuna, onion, crackers, parsley, garlic, lime juice, mustard, and Tabasco. Add a little salt and pepper while stirring to suit your tastes. Once you have reached your desired seasonings, stir in the egg. Pat tuna mixture into patties using 1/2 cup packed tuna for each patty. Set on wax paper. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Add two tuna cakes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan and set on a paper towel-covered plate to drain off any excess oil. Repeat entire process (including adding a second tablespoon of olive oil) to cook the remaining cakes.Top tuna cakes with dollops of the tomato salsa and serve immediately!

Tamale Pie

I had the most flavourless Shepherd's pie on Friday night. So dull in fact, that it shook my confidence in all things pie-related. I need to restore my faith in meat and dough. I can't say Anglo-meat pies are known for their flavour, but they do have some dimension to them. That said, I figured a Mexican twist would truly liven this classic, so I jumped on this recipe as soon as I saw it.  That and our afternoon plans consist of climbing so I wanted dinner to be ready upon our return. 

http://cookingbride.com

Serves 6

• 
  
• Tamale Dough
• 
  
• 2 cups instant Masa Harina (Mexican corn flour!)
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 
  
• Filling
• 
  
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
• 2 T cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 t chili powder
• 3/4 t ground cumin
• 1 cup beef broth

Whisk together masa, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add broth and oil and stir to combine until dough becomes soft paste. Cover bowl let dough rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature.

In the meantime, preheat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add ground beef and onions. Cook until meat is no longer pink, being sure to break up any large chunks. Add minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in enchilada sauce.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and broth. Add mixture to meat and stir to combine. To assemble, spread meat in an even layer over the bottom of the bottom of a slow cooker. Gently spread tamale dough over the top of the meat mixture. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours until dough is set.

Shrimp & Tofu Pad Thai

I just keep going back to Asian food. The appeal of the one-pot dish is universal, but the Asian dish just draws me in. Perhaps that, and an aversion to making the same dish twice. I have been to Thailand and sampled a few variations of Pad Thai, but I can't say that I was sold on it at the time. Must have been over time that I began to appreciate the combination of flavours. This particular one is a goodie and an easy dish to prepare all elements of in advance. I did just that and then passed the torch on to Ruedi who cleverly assembled the ingredients in a frying pan. The bean sprouts should have been added with the other vegetables, but got forgotten and were eventually added fresh to our serving bowls. Honestly, I'm not sure whether that was a mistake or pure genius. They added a crunchiness to the dish that was lovely.

While most of the ingredients in this dish can be bought at your local grocer, tamarind paste is a little tricky to source. If you can't find any, some sources claim that Worchestershire or HP sauce may work in a pinch. I would suggest buying a pad thai sauce and supplementing any absent flavours. So for example, the sauce we found included tamarind, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar. Adding half the lime juice and the fish sauce would round out this sauce quite nicely.

Adapted from: http://www.sweetsugarbean.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 oz package of wide, flat rice noodles
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3-4 limes, plus one whole lime for garnish)
• 1 T tamarind paste 
• 4 T soy sauce
• 4 T fish sauce 
• 1-2 T Sriracha or other hot spicy chili garlic sauce you like. Adjust heat accordingly!
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 package (14 ounces) firm or extra firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced and patted dry
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 green onions, thinly sliced (save some for garnishing plates in the end)
• coarse salt
• 12 -14 large shrimp, raw, deveined and peeled 
• 4 T roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Method

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, soy and fish sauce, Sriracha and brown sugar.  Set aside.  In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat 1 tsp canola oil over med-high heat, tilting to coat the pan.  Add egg and swirl to coat bottom, and cook just until set, about 1 minute.  Transfer egg to cutting board and slice into thin strips.  Set aside.  Add 4 tsp of canola oil to wok and add tofu in a single layer.  Brown on both sides, about 7 minutes.  Transfer to bowl and set aside.  At this point, pour boiling water over your rice noodles, and let stand about 8 minutes until soft.  Drain.
Add 2 tbsp oil to wok and cook the carrots, sprouts, garlic, green onion until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the lime juice mixture and bring to a simmer.  Add the shrimp, cook until shrimp pink, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add egg and tofu and cooked noodles.  Toss gently until all is warmed through.  Season to taste with more salt, Sriracha, if needed.  Divide among  plates and garnish with lime wedges, peanuts, cilantro and more green onions.  

Warm Squash Salad & Winter Squash Dip

I seem to be blessed when it comes to squash: there is always one lying around the kitchen ready to inspire me. This week I had two and a hankering to transform them into something new.  Enter the winter squash dip recipe. Actually this was well timed since the Superbowl is fast approaching and this dip would please any snacker. Those with dairy intolerances, watch out! This dip contains enough cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan and butter to shock any cow.

The salad was not only the healthier option, but another lunch idea. It served me well this week. Lentils, goat cheese and a few walnuts make this a complete meal.  

Warm Squash Salad

Source: My head, although I'm sure I've seen versions of this while perusing through other food blogs.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 Head green leaf lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
• 5 oz Goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 Whole squash of your choice (I had a Hubbard Squash..I think)
• 1/4 cup Chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup French lentils, cooked

Dressing

• 3 T Balsamic vinegar
• 1 T Dijon Mustard
• 3 T Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

To prepare the squash, preheat over to 400F. Cut the squash into wedges, scooping out and discarding the seeds and stringy flesh. Brush the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until flesh is brown on the surface. Remove from oven and slice the skin from the flesh. Chop into 1 inch cubes.

Combine salad ingredients and set aside.  Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well with a fork or whisk. I would suggest adding a little water to the dressing to thin it. Toss the dressing with the salad and serve.

Winter Squash Dip

From: Martha Stewart Living Magazine. October 2007. p 242

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1 Squash (this one was a Kabocha)
• 2 Garlic heads with tops cut off 
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 10 T unsalted butter
• 8 green onions, white and pale green parts only, sliced 1/4'' thick
• 2 Chipotle chili (canned in adobo sauce)
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 4 t lemon juice
• Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 400F. Place squash on a baking sheet. Brush with oil, season with salt and pepper and toss. Spread squash in a single layer. Place garlic on a piece of parchment-lined foil. Drizzle with oil and wrap loosely. Place on baking sheet with squash. Bake until squash is soft and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. 

Scoop flesh from squash and transfer to a food processor. Squeeze garlic from skins and add to squash. Add onion and chipotles and pulse until smooth. Add remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, the sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan and lemon juice and pulse until combined but not smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve in a hollowed-out squash or dish and top with pumpkin seeds. I chose warm pita wedges as my accompaniment of choice. 

Crab Salad Rolls

There is something about chef Michael Smith's haircut that just doesn't jive. I was watching his show Chef at Home at the gym and this hairdo he had going on seemed to overshadow his fabulousness. Didn't help that Pearl Jam's Eddie Veder kept appearing on an adjacent screen with his yummy tousled curls falling all over his face. I still managed to drool over Smith's  parchment paper-baked fish and tuna salad rice paper wrap creations. Only, I wanted something a little different. 

I doubt imitation crab has ever been chic, but if I was serving real crab in a prairie city such as Edmonton, I would be serving it for a special occasion. It is pricey! This isn't that occasion. I needed lunch food and a Vietnamese-style wrap sounded like the perfect item. Instead of a typical wrap filling, I opted for the crab salad recipe below. Awesome! Light, delicious and I wasn't tired of it after three days. 

Adapted From: http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium avocado chopped
• 2 cups chopped imitation crab 
• 2 T chopped red onion
• 2 T capers
• 1 lime, juice of
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1 t olive oil
• salt and pepper
• rice paper sheets

Method

In a medium bowl, combine onion, lime juice, olive oil, capers, cilantro salt and pepper. Add crab meat and toss well.

Dip the rice sheets in warm water to soften (follow package instructions and take advantage of this useful tutorial on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfI1wMeDXhg&feature=fvwrel). 

Drop a few tablespoons worth of the crab salad into the centre. Fold the edges into the centre of the wrap and roll the paper into a tube-like creation. Seriously, just watch the tutorial.

Tuscan White Beans with Spinach, Shrimp & Feta

Heavy meal, light meal, heavy meal, light meal. I don't post everything I cook, so the cycle may not be as obvious on this blog, but I have a tendency to make a heavy meal and follow it with a light meal. This isn't any astounding observation, just a little build-up to my dinner menu for this evening. Ta-da!!

From: http://www.skinnytaste.com

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (weight after peeled)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup low sodium, fat-free chicken broth
• 15 oz can cannellini beans rinsed and drained 
• 5 cups baby spinach
• 1 1/2 oz crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Method

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp until just opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and sage; cook 4 minutes stirring occasionally until golden. Stir in vinegar and cook 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and stir in shrimp. Top with feta cheese and divide in 4 bowls.